Steven Brust
Encyclopedia
Steven Karl Zoltán Brust (born November 23, 1955) is an American
fantasy
and science fiction
author of Hungarian
descent. He was a member of the writers' group The Scribblies
, which included Emma Bull
, Pamela Dean
, Will Shetterly
, Nate Bucklin, Kara Dalkey
, and Patricia Wrede
; he also belongs to the Pre-Joycean Fellowship
.
He is best known for his novels about the assassin Vlad Taltos. His novels have been translated into German
, Russian
, Polish
, Dutch
, Czech
, French
, Spanish
, Hebrew
and Bulgarian
. Most of his short stories are set in shared universe
s. These include Emma Bull
's and Will Shetterly
's Liavek
, Robert Asprin
's Thieves' World, Neil Gaiman
's Sandman
and Terri Windling
's Borderland Series
.
, namely The Khaavren Romances and The Vlad Taltos novels. They are set in different periods in the world, but some characters are common to both series.
Omnibus volumes:
s" by some humans, they refer to themselves as "human". The Dragaeran Empire controls the majority of the landmass known to it on the planet, and does not greatly concern itself with the rest. Vlad Taltos is one of the human minority (known by Dragaerans as "Easterners"), which exists as a lower class in the Empire. Vlad also practices the human art of witchcraft; "táltos
" is Hungarian for a kind of supernatural person in folklore. Though human, he is a citizen of the Empire because his social-climbing father bought a title in one of the less reputable of the 17 Dragaeran Great Houses. The only Great House that sells memberships this way is, not coincidentally, also the one that maintains a criminal organization. Vlad proves surprisingly successful in this organization. Despite being a human and a criminal, he has a number of high-ranking Dragaeran friends, and often gets caught up in important events.
Brust has written thirteen novels in the series, which is proposed to run to nineteen novels — one named for each of the Great Houses, one named for Vlad himself, and a final novel which Brust has said will be titled The Final Contract. The first three novels resemble private-eye detective stories
, perhaps the closest being Robert B. Parker
's Spenser series
. The later novels are more varied than the first three. Though they read like fantasy, there are science-fictional explanations for some things.
Brust has also written another series set in Dragaera, the Khaavren Romances
, set centuries before Vlad's time. Since Dragaerans live for thousands of years, many characters appear in both series. It is partly an homage to Alexandre Dumas, père
's novels about the Three Musketeers
, and is five volumes long, following the pattern of Dumas' series. The books are presented as historical novels written by Paarfi of Roundwood, a Dragaeran roughly contemporary with Vlad. Paarfi's old-fashioned, elaborate, and highly verbose writing is explicitly based on Dumas', though with a dialogue style that is, at times, based on Tom Stoppard
's wordgames in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
(according to Pamela Dean's introduction to Five Hundred Years After).
The two series are finally brought together in the thirteenth novel in the Vlad series, Tiassa, which can also be viewed as the sixth novel in the Khaavren series. Tiassa comprises what are in effect three related novellas, each told in a different style and connected by a common theme. The first section reads like the first three novels in the series, with a first-person narration by Vlad but including Khaavren’s son, Piro; the second section has a different viewpoint character in each of its chapters; and the third section is narrated by Paarfi in the style of the earlier Khaavren Romances, with Khaavren as the viewpoint character and interacting with Vlad.
There is a certain amount of variation in the writing style amongst the Taltos novels as well. Brust uses a different narrative approach in almost every novel in the series. Some of these approaches are more purely stylistic and have minor effects on the actual story-telling; some are profound and involve the point of view of characters whom the reader never expected to get to know so well.
Further, as the writing of the Taltos novels has spanned over two decades, they have been influenced by events in Steven Brust's own life. A fascination with the Mafia — subsequently brought into a somewhat shocking perspective by the murder of a friend — profoundly influenced his storylines, as did the breakup of his marriage. The events and arguments of his books, especially Teckla, are acknowledged by Brust to be influenced by his life-long interest in Marxist theory and practice, especially as advocated by Leon Trotsky
. Since Brust is a self-identified "Trotskyist sympathizer", this topic frequently comes up in interviews with him.
Lastly, Brust has a decided knack for slipping absorbing mysteries into the minor details of his stories; mysteries that tend to fascinate his readers, once they notice them, and often form the kernel around which later books coalesce, even though their resolution still springs upon the reader unexpectedly when it finally comes.
Examples are:
Only his collaborative books escape being nicknamed.
Similar LARPS have been run at other conventions, such as KublaCon 2007.
band Cats Laughing
and also in the Albany Free Traders. He released his only solo album, A Rose for Iconoclastes, in 1993. Two songs from this album were played by Doctor Demento: "I Was Born About Ten Million Songs Ago" (co-written with Nathan A. Bucklin
) and "Backward Message."
The 1995 Boiled in Lead
enhanced CD Songs from the Gypsy featured songs by Brust and Adam Stemple
, as well as the full text of the novel The Gypsy.
Cats Laughing also appears in issue #5 of a Marvel
comic book called Excalibur
. Steve is the only member of the band who is both seen onstage and named. Emma Bull
also appears but names everyone in the band except herself. Steve was seen again in a one-shot special issue, Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem, in which the mutant superhero Shadowcat attends a Cats Laughing concert in Edinburgh
and mentions previously having seen the band at Windycon
.
In addition, Chris Claremont
inserted a reference to "Cats Laughing — the Excalibur Sessions" into the DC Comics
graphic novel Star Trek Debt of Honor.
Brust owned a Cadillac ambulance in Minnesota. It was painted yellow, light blue and dark blue, with murals. Known as the Catmobile, the car was the band vehicle for Cats Laughing. The same car is also depicted on the "Another Way to Travel" album with the band members. This album, noted by its picture, has a cameo in the beginning of Emma Bull
's novel Bone Dance.
Brust performed in several Shockwave Radio Theater
productions, notably Closing Ceremonies (aka The Fall of the House of Usherette) and PBS Liavek.
Dragon gets argued over in the webcomic Penny Arcade. Tycho elaborates on "Fine Distinctions" that same day.
, although it did not reach the final ballot.
Five Hundred Years After was nominated for the 1995 Locus Poll Award (Best Fantasy Novel). Other novels nominated for various Locus Poll Awards were Brokedown Palace, The Gypsy, Agyar, and Freedom & Necessity.
Dragon was a finalist for the 1999 Minnesota Book Awards in the Fantasy & Science Fiction category. Freedom and Necessity was a 1998 finalist for the same category, while The Phoenix Guards was a finalist in 1992.
Brust discovered in August 2006 that he had made the New York Times extended bestseller list at number 30 with Dzur. He mentioned his ambivalence on this subject online.
SCI FI Wire posted an email interview with Brust after Dzur came out.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
author of Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
descent. He was a member of the writers' group The Scribblies
The Scribblies
The Scribblies were a fantasy fiction writer's group based in the U.S. city of Minneapolis. Members included Nate Bucklin, Emma Bull, Steven Brust, Kara Dalkey, Pamela Dean, Will Shetterly and Patricia Wrede....
, which included Emma Bull
Emma Bull
Emma Bull is a science fiction and fantasy author whose best-known novel is War for the Oaks, one of the pioneering works of urban fantasy. She has participated in Terri Windling's Borderland shared universe, which is the setting of her 1994 novel Finder...
, Pamela Dean
Pamela Dean
Pamela Dean Dyer-Bennet is an American fantasy author whose most notable book is Tam Lin, based on the Child Ballad of the same name, in which the Scottish fairy story is set on a midwestern college campus loosely based on her alma mater, Carleton College in Minnesota.She was a member of the...
, Will Shetterly
Will Shetterly
Will Shetterly is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel Dogland . The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents...
, Nate Bucklin, Kara Dalkey
Kara Dalkey
Kara Mia Dalkey is an American author of young adult fiction and historical fantasy. She was born in Los Angeles and has lived in Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Colorado, and Seattle. Much of her fiction is set in the Heian period of Japan....
, and Patricia Wrede
Patricia Wrede
Patricia Collins Wrede is an American fantasy writer from Chicago, Illinois.The eldest of five children, she graduated from Carleton College in 1974 with a BA in Biology, married James Wrede in 1976 , and obtained an MBA from University of Minnesota in 1977.She finished her first book in 1978,...
; he also belongs to the Pre-Joycean Fellowship
Pre-Joycean Fellowship
Several writers known for fantasy and science fiction have semi-seriously called themselves the Pre-Joycean Fellowship to indicate that they value 19th-century values of storytelling, including clarity, called by Jane Yolen the "lovely limpid quality" of writing...
.
He is best known for his novels about the assassin Vlad Taltos. His novels have been translated into German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
and Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
. Most of his short stories are set in shared universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
s. These include Emma Bull
Emma Bull
Emma Bull is a science fiction and fantasy author whose best-known novel is War for the Oaks, one of the pioneering works of urban fantasy. She has participated in Terri Windling's Borderland shared universe, which is the setting of her 1994 novel Finder...
's and Will Shetterly
Will Shetterly
Will Shetterly is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel Dogland . The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents...
's Liavek
Liavek
Liavek is a shared world brought to life in a series of five fantasy anthologies edited by Emma Bull and Will Shetterly.-Contributors:Contributors include Bull, Shetterly, Gene Wolfe, Jane Yolen, John M. Ford, Kara Dalkey, Barry B. Longyear, Megan Lindholm, Nancy Kress, Patricia C. Wrede, Steven...
, Robert Asprin
Robert Asprin
Robert Lynn Asprin was an American science fiction and fantasy author and active fan, best known for his humorous MythAdventures and Phule's Company series.- Background :...
's Thieves' World, Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
's Sandman
Sandman (Vertigo)
The Sandman is a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics. Beginning with issue #47, it was placed under the imprint Vertigo. It chronicles the adventures of Dream , who rules over the world of dreams. It ran for 75 issues from January 1989 until March 1996...
and Terri Windling
Terri Windling
Terri Windling is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. Windling has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and her collection The Armless Maiden appeared on the short-list for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award...
's Borderland Series
The Borderland Series
Borderland is a series of urban fantasy novels and stories created for teenage readers by Terri Windling. The series is set in Bordertown, a dystopian metropolis that lies along the border between "the Elflands" and "The World". The series consists of five anthologies and three novels to date...
.
Dragaera
There are two series set in the world of DragaeraDragaera
Dragaera is the fictional world in which a series of novels by Steven Brust is set. The word "Dragaera" can refer to the planet, the Dragaeran Empire, or its former capital, Dragaera City.-Species:...
, namely The Khaavren Romances and The Vlad Taltos novels. They are set in different periods in the world, but some characters are common to both series.
Vlad Taltos
There are currently 13 novels in the series(19 are planned).- JheregJhereg (novel)Jhereg is a fantasy novel by Steven Brust in his Vlad Taltos series, originally published in 1983 by Ace Books. Ace later republished it in 1999 as part of the three-book omnibus, The Book of Jhereg. Marvel Comics adapted the story into a graphic novel titled Steven Brust's JHEREG in 1987.The novel...
(1983) - YendiYendi (novel)Yendi is Steven Brust's second novel in his Vlad Taltos series and is a prequel to the first novel, Jhereg. Originally printed in 1984 by Ace Books, it was reprinted in 1999 in the omnibus The Book of Jhereg along with Jhereg and Teckla...
(1984) - TecklaTecklaTeckla is the third novel in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series. Originally printed in 1987 by Ace Books, it was reprinted in 1999 in the omnibus The Book of Jhereg along with Jhereg and Yendi...
(1987) - TaltosTaltos (Steven Brust novel)Taltos is the fourth book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. Originally published in 1988 by Ace Books, it was reprinted in 2002 along with Phoenix as part of the omnibus The Book of Taltos. It does not follow the trend of being named after one of the Great...
(1988) - PhoenixPhoenix (novel)Phoenix is the fifth book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. Originally published in 1990 by Ace Books, it was reprinted in 2002 along with Taltos in the omnibus The Book of Taltos...
(1990) - AthyraAthyraAthyra is the sixth book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. Originally published in 1993, by Ace Books, it was reprinted in 2003 along with Orca in the omnibus The Book of Athyra...
(1993) - OrcaOrca (novel)Orca is the seventh book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. Originally published in 1996 by Ace Books, it was republished in 2003 along with Athyra in the omnibus The Book of Athyra...
(1996) - DragonDragon (Steven Brust novel)Dragon is the eighth book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, published in 1998 by Tor Books. It is both the second and fourth book of the series in chronological order, largely occurring after Taltos and before Yendi, with brief interludes taking place shortly after the events of Yendi...
(1998) - IssolaIssolaIssola is the ninth book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. It was published in 2001. Following the trend of the series, it is named after one of the Great Houses and features that House as an important element to its plot.-Plot introduction:Vlad teams up...
(2001) - Dzur (2006)
- JhegaalaJhegaalaJhegaala is the eleventh book in Steven Brust′s Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. It was published in 2008. Following the trend of the series, it is named after one of the Great Houses and usually features that House as an important element to its plot.Each house uses a...
(2008) - IorichIorichIorich is the twelfth book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. It was published in 2010. Following the trend of the series, it is named after one of the Great Houses and usually features that House as an important element to its plot. The Iorich are renowned...
(2010) - TiassaTiassaTiassa is the thirteenth book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. It was published in 2011. Following the trend of the series, it is named after one of the Great Houses and features that House as an important element to its plot.-Plot introduction:The book is...
(2011)
- Chronological order of novels:
- TaltosTaltos (Steven Brust novel)Taltos is the fourth book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. Originally published in 1988 by Ace Books, it was reprinted in 2002 along with Phoenix as part of the omnibus The Book of Taltos. It does not follow the trend of being named after one of the Great...
(1988) - DragonDragon (Steven Brust novel)Dragon is the eighth book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, published in 1998 by Tor Books. It is both the second and fourth book of the series in chronological order, largely occurring after Taltos and before Yendi, with brief interludes taking place shortly after the events of Yendi...
(1998) - YendiYendi (novel)Yendi is Steven Brust's second novel in his Vlad Taltos series and is a prequel to the first novel, Jhereg. Originally printed in 1984 by Ace Books, it was reprinted in 1999 in the omnibus The Book of Jhereg along with Jhereg and Teckla...
(1984) - TiassaTiassaTiassa is the thirteenth book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. It was published in 2011. Following the trend of the series, it is named after one of the Great Houses and features that House as an important element to its plot.-Plot introduction:The book is...
, section 1 (2011) - JheregJhereg (novel)Jhereg is a fantasy novel by Steven Brust in his Vlad Taltos series, originally published in 1983 by Ace Books. Ace later republished it in 1999 as part of the three-book omnibus, The Book of Jhereg. Marvel Comics adapted the story into a graphic novel titled Steven Brust's JHEREG in 1987.The novel...
(1983) - TecklaTecklaTeckla is the third novel in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series. Originally printed in 1987 by Ace Books, it was reprinted in 1999 in the omnibus The Book of Jhereg along with Jhereg and Yendi...
(1987) - PhoenixPhoenix (novel)Phoenix is the fifth book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. Originally published in 1990 by Ace Books, it was reprinted in 2002 along with Taltos in the omnibus The Book of Taltos...
(1990) - JhegaalaJhegaalaJhegaala is the eleventh book in Steven Brust′s Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. It was published in 2008. Following the trend of the series, it is named after one of the Great Houses and usually features that House as an important element to its plot.Each house uses a...
(2008) - AthyraAthyraAthyra is the sixth book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. Originally published in 1993, by Ace Books, it was reprinted in 2003 along with Orca in the omnibus The Book of Athyra...
(1993) - OrcaOrca (novel)Orca is the seventh book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. Originally published in 1996 by Ace Books, it was republished in 2003 along with Athyra in the omnibus The Book of Athyra...
(1996) - IssolaIssolaIssola is the ninth book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. It was published in 2001. Following the trend of the series, it is named after one of the Great Houses and features that House as an important element to its plot.-Plot introduction:Vlad teams up...
(2001) - Dzur (2006)
- TiassaTiassaTiassa is the thirteenth book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. It was published in 2011. Following the trend of the series, it is named after one of the Great Houses and features that House as an important element to its plot.-Plot introduction:The book is...
, section 2 (2011) - IorichIorichIorich is the twelfth book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. It was published in 2010. Following the trend of the series, it is named after one of the Great Houses and usually features that House as an important element to its plot. The Iorich are renowned...
(2010) - TiassaTiassaTiassa is the thirteenth book in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. It was published in 2011. Following the trend of the series, it is named after one of the Great Houses and features that House as an important element to its plot.-Plot introduction:The book is...
, section 3 (2011)
- Taltos
Omnibus volumes:
- The Book of Jhereg (contains Jhereg, Yendi and Teckla)
- The Book of Taltos (contains Taltos and Phoenix)
- The Book of Athyra (contains Athyra and Orca)
- Dragon & Issola (contains Dragon and Issola - SFBC hardcover)
- The Book of Dragon (contains Dragon and Issola - Tor paperback)
- The Book of Dzur (contains Dzur and Jhegaala)
The Khaavren Romances
The series consists of three books and has been completed.- The Phoenix GuardsThe Phoenix GuardsThe Phoenix Guards is the first novel in the Khaavren Romances, a fantasy series by Steven Brust set in the fictional world of Dragaera. The novel is heavily influenced by the d'Artagnan Romances written by Alexandre Dumas...
(1991) - Five Hundred Years AfterFive Hundred Years AfterFive Hundred Years After is the second novel in the Khaavren Romances fantasy series by Steven Brust. It is set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. The novel is heavily influenced by the d'Artagnan Romances written by Alexandre Dumas, and Brust considers the series an homage to that author...
(1994) - The Viscount of AdrilankhaThe Viscount of AdrilankhaThe Viscount of Adrilankha is a fantasy novel published in three volumes and written by Steven Brust. Collectively, the three books form the third novel in the Khaavren Romances series. The novels are heavily influenced by the d'Artagnan Romances written by Alexandre Dumas, and Brust considers the...
, published in three volumes:- The Paths of the Dead (2002)
- The Lord of Castle Black (2003)
- Sethra Lavode (2004)
Other novels
- To Reign in HellTo Reign in HellTo Reign in Hell is a 1984 fantasy novel by American writer Steven Brust. It deals with the revolt of angels in Heaven from a point of view that casts Satan as a sympathetic protagonist...
(1984) - The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars (1987)
- Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille (1990)
- The Gypsy (1992) with Megan Lindholm
- Agyar (1993)
- Freedom & Necessity (1997) with Emma BullEmma BullEmma Bull is a science fiction and fantasy author whose best-known novel is War for the Oaks, one of the pioneering works of urban fantasy. She has participated in Terri Windling's Borderland shared universe, which is the setting of her 1994 novel Finder...
- My Own Kind of Freedom (written 2005, released under the Creative Commons license February 8, 2008), a novel based on the FireflyFirefly (TV series)Firefly is an American space western television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon, under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. Whedon served as executive producer, along with Tim Minear....
television series
Short stories
- “An Act of Contrition” in Liavek (1985, edited by Emma BullEmma BullEmma Bull is a science fiction and fantasy author whose best-known novel is War for the Oaks, one of the pioneering works of urban fantasy. She has participated in Terri Windling's Borderland shared universe, which is the setting of her 1994 novel Finder...
and Will ShetterlyWill ShetterlyWill Shetterly is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel Dogland . The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents...
; Locus Poll Award, Best Anthology) - “An Act of Trust” in Liavek: The Players of Luck (1986, edited by Emma BullEmma BullEmma Bull is a science fiction and fantasy author whose best-known novel is War for the Oaks, one of the pioneering works of urban fantasy. She has participated in Terri Windling's Borderland shared universe, which is the setting of her 1994 novel Finder...
and Will ShetterlyWill ShetterlyWill Shetterly is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel Dogland . The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents...
) - “A Dream of Passion” in the convention chapbook for Ad Astra (1986)
- “An Act of Mercy” in Liavek: Wizard's Row (1987, with Megan Lindholm; edited by Emma BullEmma BullEmma Bull is a science fiction and fantasy author whose best-known novel is War for the Oaks, one of the pioneering works of urban fantasy. She has participated in Terri Windling's Borderland shared universe, which is the setting of her 1994 novel Finder...
and Will ShetterlyWill ShetterlyWill Shetterly is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel Dogland . The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents...
) - “An Act of Love” in Liavek: Spells of Binding (1988, with Gregory FrostGregory FrostGregory Frost is an American author of science fiction and fantasy, and directs a fiction writing workshop at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa...
and Megan Lindholm; edited by Emma BullEmma BullEmma Bull is a science fiction and fantasy author whose best-known novel is War for the Oaks, one of the pioneering works of urban fantasy. She has participated in Terri Windling's Borderland shared universe, which is the setting of her 1994 novel Finder...
and Will ShetterlyWill ShetterlyWill Shetterly is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel Dogland . The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents...
) - “Csucskári” (Excerpt from The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars) in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: First Annual Collection (1988, edited by Ellen DatlowEllen DatlowEllen Datlow is an American science fiction, fantasy, and horror editor and anthologist.-Biography:Datlow was the fiction editor of Omni magazine and Omni Online from 1981 through 1998, and edited the ten associated Omni anthologies...
and Terri WindlingTerri WindlingTerri Windling is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. Windling has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and her collection The Armless Maiden appeared on the short-list for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award...
) - “A Hot Night at Cheeky's” in Liavek: Festival Week (1990, edited by Emma BullEmma BullEmma Bull is a science fiction and fantasy author whose best-known novel is War for the Oaks, one of the pioneering works of urban fantasy. She has participated in Terri Windling's Borderland shared universe, which is the setting of her 1994 novel Finder...
and Will ShetterlyWill ShetterlyWill Shetterly is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel Dogland . The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents...
) - “Looking Forward: Excerpt from Athyra” in Amazing Stories, March 1993 (1993, edited by Kim MohanKim MohanKim Mohan is an American author and editor.-Biography:Kim Mohan was born in Chicago, Illinois, and moved to Williams Bay, Wisconsin when he was five. He became an avid science-fiction and fantasy reader and occasional wargamer, and graduated third in his high school class...
) - “Attention Shoppers” in Xanadu (1993, edited by Jane YolenJane YolenJane Hyatt Yolen is an American author and editor of almost 300 books. These include folklore, fantasy, science fiction, and children's books...
) - “Abduction from the Harem” in Timewalker Issue 14 (October 1996, published by Valiant ComicsValiant ComicsValiant Comics is a comic book imprint published by various publishers since its inception with Voyager Communications, Inc. in 1989, later Acclaim Comics, Inc. Its assets were purchased from the bankruptcy of the Acclaim Entertaintment by Valiant Entertainment, Inc. in 2007.-Voyager...
) - “Drift” in Space Opera (1996, edited by Anne McCaffreyAnne McCaffreyAnne Inez McCaffrey was an American-born Irish writer, best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. Over the course of her 46 year career she won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award...
and Elizabeth Ann ScarboroughElizabeth Ann ScarboroughElizabeth Ann Scarborough was born March 23, 1947 and lives in Port Townsend, Washington. Scarborough won a Nebula Award in 1989 for her novel The Healer's War, and has written more than a dozen other novels...
) - “Valóság and Élet” in Sandman: Book of Dreams (1996, edited by Neil GaimanNeil GaimanNeil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
and Edward E. KramerEdward E. KramerEdward E. Kramer is an American editor of numerous science fiction, fantasy, and horror works, and co-founder of the Dragon Con commercial media convention in Atlanta, Georgia. He lives in Duluth, Georgia, and works as a clinical and educational consultant. He is the former program director of the...
) - "Calling Pittsburgh" in Lord of the Fantastic: Stories in Honor of Roger ZelaznyRoger ZelaznyRoger Joseph Zelazny was an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for his The Chronicles of Amber series...
(1998, edited by Martin H. GreenbergMartin H. GreenbergMartin Harry Greenberg was an American speculative fiction anthologist and writer.-Biography:Dr. Martin H. Greenberg was born March 1, 1941, to Max and Mae Greenberg in South Miami Beach, Florida...
) - “When the Bow Breaks” in The Essential Bordertown (1998, edited by Terri WindlingTerri WindlingTerri Windling is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. Windling has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and her collection The Armless Maiden appeared on the short-list for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award...
and Delia ShermanDelia ShermanCordelia Caroline Sherman , known professionally as Delia Sherman, is a fantasy writer and editor. Her novel The Porcelain Dove won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award...
) - “The Man From Shemhaza” in Thieves' World: Enemies of Fortune (2004, edited by Lynn AbbeyLynn AbbeyLynn Abbey is an American computer programmer and author.-Background:Born in Peekskill, New York, Abbey was daughter of Ronald Lionel and Doris Lorraine . She attended the University of Rochester, where she began as an astrophysics major. She earned a A.B...
), reprinted in Year's Best Fantasy 5 (2005, edited by David Hartwell and Kathryn CramerKathryn CramerKathryn Elizabeth Cramer is an American science fiction author, editor, and literary critic.- Life :Cramer grew up in Seattle, and currently lives in Pleasantville, New York with her husband David G. Hartwell and their two children. She is the daughter of physicist John G. Cramer...
) - "Klava with Honey" in Eeriecon Chapbook #4 for the convention EerieConEerieConEerieCon is a non-profit, fan-run science-fiction, fantasy, and horror convention which is held every year in Niagara Falls, New York. Guests have included Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta who were the Guests of Honor for EerieCon 12, held from April 23–25, 2010...
(2005, via the Buffalo Fantasy League) - "Chapter One" in Eeriecon Chapbook #6 for the convention EerieConEerieConEerieCon is a non-profit, fan-run science-fiction, fantasy, and horror convention which is held every year in Niagara Falls, New York. Guests have included Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta who were the Guests of Honor for EerieCon 12, held from April 23–25, 2010...
(2007, via the Buffalo Fantasy League)
Convention chapbooks
- In 1986, Steven Brust was a Guest of Honor at the Per Ardua Ad AstraAd Astra (convention)Ad Astra is an annual science fiction and fantasy convention in Toronto. Major events of the convention include the Masquerade, Guest of Honour presentations, panel discussions, Art Show, and Dealer's Room, as well as a wide variety of privately-run room parties...
science fiction conventionScience fiction conventionScience fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...
in Toronto, and he contributed the Vlad Taltos short story "A Dream of Passion" to the convention chapbook. - Brust included "Klava with Honey" in Eeriecon Chapbook #4 for the 2005 EerieConEerieConEerieCon is a non-profit, fan-run science-fiction, fantasy, and horror convention which is held every year in Niagara Falls, New York. Guests have included Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta who were the Guests of Honor for EerieCon 12, held from April 23–25, 2010...
convention. This very brief excerpt was initially part of the novel Dzur. He could not attend the convention for medical reasons. - He also contributed "Chapter One" for Eeriecon Chapbook #6 which was featured at EerieConEerieConEerieCon is a non-profit, fan-run science-fiction, fantasy, and horror convention which is held every year in Niagara Falls, New York. Guests have included Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta who were the Guests of Honor for EerieCon 12, held from April 23–25, 2010...
9, 2007.
Introductions by Steven Brust
- In 1987, Tor BooksTor BooksTor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...
published the gamebookGamebookA gamebook is a work of fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making effective choices. The narrative branches along various paths through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages...
Dzurlord (A Crossroads Adventure in the World of Steven Brust's Jhereg). Steven Brust wrote the introduction for this book, which introduced readers to the world of Dragaera and its inhabitants. - Tor also published The Three MusketeersThe Three MusketeersThe Three Musketeers is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, first serialized in March–July 1844. Set in the 17th century, it recounts the adventures of a young man named d'Artagnan after he leaves home to travel to Paris, to join the Musketeers of the Guard...
in paperback in 1994. Steven Brust introduced the edition, saying that this translation (anonymous, originally published in 1888) was his favorite. - Steven Brust contributed the introduction for Manna from Heaven. Wildside PressWildside PressWildside Press is an independent publishing company located in Maryland, USA. It was founded in 1989 by John Gregory and Kim Betancourt. While the press was originally conceived as a publisher of speculative fiction in both trade and limited editions, it has broadened out somewhat since then, both...
published this collection of stories from the late Roger ZelaznyRoger ZelaznyRoger Joseph Zelazny was an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for his The Chronicles of Amber series...
in 2003.
The Dragaeran books
The Vlad Taltos series is set on what is apparently another planet, in an Empire mostly inhabited and ruled by the Dragaerans, who are humanoid but have such differences as greatly extended lifespans and heights averaging about 7 feet. Referred to as "elfElf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
s" by some humans, they refer to themselves as "human". The Dragaeran Empire controls the majority of the landmass known to it on the planet, and does not greatly concern itself with the rest. Vlad Taltos is one of the human minority (known by Dragaerans as "Easterners"), which exists as a lower class in the Empire. Vlad also practices the human art of witchcraft; "táltos
Táltos
The táltos is a figure in Hungarian mythology similar to a shaman.According to Roman Catholic priest Arnold Ipolyi, in his book "Magyar mitológia" from 1854, a táltos was in direct contact with God during the prenatal period. Once born, the táltos had a special mission in life to cure both body...
" is Hungarian for a kind of supernatural person in folklore. Though human, he is a citizen of the Empire because his social-climbing father bought a title in one of the less reputable of the 17 Dragaeran Great Houses. The only Great House that sells memberships this way is, not coincidentally, also the one that maintains a criminal organization. Vlad proves surprisingly successful in this organization. Despite being a human and a criminal, he has a number of high-ranking Dragaeran friends, and often gets caught up in important events.
Brust has written thirteen novels in the series, which is proposed to run to nineteen novels — one named for each of the Great Houses, one named for Vlad himself, and a final novel which Brust has said will be titled The Final Contract. The first three novels resemble private-eye detective stories
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
, perhaps the closest being Robert B. Parker
Robert B. Parker
Robert Brown Parker was an American crime writer. His most famous works were the novels about the private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the late 1980s; a series of TV movies based on the character were also...
's Spenser series
Spenser (fictional detective)
Spenser is a fictional character in a series of detective novels initially by the American mystery writer Robert B. Parker and later by Ace Atkins...
. The later novels are more varied than the first three. Though they read like fantasy, there are science-fictional explanations for some things.
Brust has also written another series set in Dragaera, the Khaavren Romances
Khaavren Romances
The Khaavren Romances are a series of fantasy novels written by Steven Brust and set in the fictional world of Dragaera. The novels are swashbuckling adventure stories involving war, intrigue, and romance...
, set centuries before Vlad's time. Since Dragaerans live for thousands of years, many characters appear in both series. It is partly an homage to Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, , born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world...
's novels about the Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, first serialized in March–July 1844. Set in the 17th century, it recounts the adventures of a young man named d'Artagnan after he leaves home to travel to Paris, to join the Musketeers of the Guard...
, and is five volumes long, following the pattern of Dumas' series. The books are presented as historical novels written by Paarfi of Roundwood, a Dragaeran roughly contemporary with Vlad. Paarfi's old-fashioned, elaborate, and highly verbose writing is explicitly based on Dumas', though with a dialogue style that is, at times, based on Tom Stoppard
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...
's wordgames in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is an absurdist, existentialist tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare's Hamlet, the courtiers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern...
(according to Pamela Dean's introduction to Five Hundred Years After).
The two series are finally brought together in the thirteenth novel in the Vlad series, Tiassa, which can also be viewed as the sixth novel in the Khaavren series. Tiassa comprises what are in effect three related novellas, each told in a different style and connected by a common theme. The first section reads like the first three novels in the series, with a first-person narration by Vlad but including Khaavren’s son, Piro; the second section has a different viewpoint character in each of its chapters; and the third section is narrated by Paarfi in the style of the earlier Khaavren Romances, with Khaavren as the viewpoint character and interacting with Vlad.
There is a certain amount of variation in the writing style amongst the Taltos novels as well. Brust uses a different narrative approach in almost every novel in the series. Some of these approaches are more purely stylistic and have minor effects on the actual story-telling; some are profound and involve the point of view of characters whom the reader never expected to get to know so well.
Further, as the writing of the Taltos novels has spanned over two decades, they have been influenced by events in Steven Brust's own life. A fascination with the Mafia — subsequently brought into a somewhat shocking perspective by the murder of a friend — profoundly influenced his storylines, as did the breakup of his marriage. The events and arguments of his books, especially Teckla, are acknowledged by Brust to be influenced by his life-long interest in Marxist theory and practice, especially as advocated by Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
. Since Brust is a self-identified "Trotskyist sympathizer", this topic frequently comes up in interviews with him.
Lastly, Brust has a decided knack for slipping absorbing mysteries into the minor details of his stories; mysteries that tend to fascinate his readers, once they notice them, and often form the kernel around which later books coalesce, even though their resolution still springs upon the reader unexpectedly when it finally comes.
Devera
The same character, usually a cute brown-eyed girl of about nine, appears as a motif in all of Brust's novels. In the Dragaeran books her name is Devera. She is the (future) daughter of another character and seems to be able to appear anywhere in time and space. In Brust's non-Dragaeran books her appearances are usually brief and not always obvious.Title nicknames
Brust is known for his propensity to give his books alternate titles for his own amusement. These have cropped up in numerous interviews and online forums, starting with "Jarhead" for Jhereg.Examples are:
- The Rain in Spain (To Reign in Hell)
- Aw Gee (Agyar)
- The Kleenex Guards (The Phoenix Guards)
- Tacky (Teckla)
- Tucson (Phoenix)
- Ripple (Brokedown Palace)
- Crosby, Stills and Nash (The Sun, The Moon, And The Stars)
- Jar Head (Jhereg)
- Milqtoast [sic] (Taltos)
- Stir (Dzur)
- Giggolo [sic] (Jhegaala)
- Your Itch (Iorich)
- My Own Kind of WhedonJoss WhedonJoseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
(My Own Kind of Freedom, his FireflyFirefly (TV series)Firefly is an American space western television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon, under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. Whedon served as executive producer, along with Tim Minear....
fanfic) - Hadassah (Tiassa)
Only his collaborative books escape being nicknamed.
Inspired by Dragaera
- In 1993, SIL-West published a live action role-playing gameLive action role-playing gameA live action role-playing game is a form of role-playing game where the participants physically act out their characters' actions. The players pursue goals within a fictional setting represented by the real world, while interacting with each other in character. The outcome of player actions may...
called Dragon, set in Dragaera. It was performed at BayCon '93, as well as StarQuest '98.
Similar LARPS have been run at other conventions, such as KublaCon 2007.
Music & other media
Brust played drums, specifically in the Minneapolis-based folk rockFolk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band Cats Laughing
Cats Laughing
Cats Laughing is a now-defunct folk rock band based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The group consisted of Steven Brust, Emma Bull, Bill Colsher, Lojo Russo, and Adam Stemple. Both Brust and Bull are better known as writers of fantasy and science fiction...
and also in the Albany Free Traders. He released his only solo album, A Rose for Iconoclastes, in 1993. Two songs from this album were played by Doctor Demento: "I Was Born About Ten Million Songs Ago" (co-written with Nathan A. Bucklin
Nathan A. Bucklin
Nathan A. Bucklin is a musician living in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife, Louie Spooner Bucklin, and stepson James Trainor.He was a founding member of the Minneapolis writer's group the Scribblies, and is one of the founding members of the Minnesota Science Fiction Society, better known as...
) and "Backward Message."
The 1995 Boiled in Lead
Boiled in Lead
Boiled in Lead is a world music band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They formed in 1983, going through a number of membership changes over the years...
enhanced CD Songs from the Gypsy featured songs by Brust and Adam Stemple
Adam Stemple
Adam Stemple, author and professional musician is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is the son of writer Jane Yolen and her late husband David Stemple....
, as well as the full text of the novel The Gypsy.
Cats Laughing also appears in issue #5 of a Marvel
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
comic book called Excalibur
Excalibur (comics)
Excalibur is a Marvel Comics superhero group, an off-shoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, the original Excalibur first appeared in Excalibur Special Edition , also known as Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn.The...
. Steve is the only member of the band who is both seen onstage and named. Emma Bull
Emma Bull
Emma Bull is a science fiction and fantasy author whose best-known novel is War for the Oaks, one of the pioneering works of urban fantasy. She has participated in Terri Windling's Borderland shared universe, which is the setting of her 1994 novel Finder...
also appears but names everyone in the band except herself. Steve was seen again in a one-shot special issue, Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem, in which the mutant superhero Shadowcat attends a Cats Laughing concert in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and mentions previously having seen the band at Windycon
Windycon
Windycon is a science fiction convention currently held in Lombard, Illinois, on the weekend closest to Veterans Day.ISFiC, the parent corporation that runs Windycon, was founded in 1973 in Chicago. The first Windycon was held the following year and has been held annually ever since either in...
.
In addition, Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
inserted a reference to "Cats Laughing — the Excalibur Sessions" into the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
graphic novel Star Trek Debt of Honor.
Brust owned a Cadillac ambulance in Minnesota. It was painted yellow, light blue and dark blue, with murals. Known as the Catmobile, the car was the band vehicle for Cats Laughing. The same car is also depicted on the "Another Way to Travel" album with the band members. This album, noted by its picture, has a cameo in the beginning of Emma Bull
Emma Bull
Emma Bull is a science fiction and fantasy author whose best-known novel is War for the Oaks, one of the pioneering works of urban fantasy. She has participated in Terri Windling's Borderland shared universe, which is the setting of her 1994 novel Finder...
's novel Bone Dance.
Brust performed in several Shockwave Radio Theater
Shockwave Radio Theater
Shockwave Radio Theater was broadcast for 28 years on Fresh Air Radio, the community radio station KFAI-FM, 90.3FM Minneapolis, 106.7FM St. Paul. Much of Shockwave Radio is archived on archive.org or on the audio page of Dave Romm's portal. Podcasts of some shows are available as Baron Dave...
productions, notably Closing Ceremonies (aka The Fall of the House of Usherette) and PBS Liavek.
Dragon gets argued over in the webcomic Penny Arcade. Tycho elaborates on "Fine Distinctions" that same day.
Award nominations (and dubious honors)
Brust's short story "When The Bow Breaks" was nominated for the 1999 Nebula AwardNebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
, although it did not reach the final ballot.
Five Hundred Years After was nominated for the 1995 Locus Poll Award (Best Fantasy Novel). Other novels nominated for various Locus Poll Awards were Brokedown Palace, The Gypsy, Agyar, and Freedom & Necessity.
Dragon was a finalist for the 1999 Minnesota Book Awards in the Fantasy & Science Fiction category. Freedom and Necessity was a 1998 finalist for the same category, while The Phoenix Guards was a finalist in 1992.
Brust discovered in August 2006 that he had made the New York Times extended bestseller list at number 30 with Dzur. He mentioned his ambivalence on this subject online.
SCI FI Wire posted an email interview with Brust after Dzur came out.
External links
- The Dream Café - Steven Brust's own homepage
- Steven Brust's LiveJournal
- Dragaera - a site authorized by Brust, with a mailing list, resources, and links to many fan pages
- Bibliography on SciFanSciFanSciFan is an online database for fans of science fiction and fantasy books.The site provides detailed bibliographies, linking books together into series' where appropriate and, in turn, grouping series by universe...
- Cracks and Shards - Observations on Dragaera
- Steven Brust at Fantasy Literature
- Lyorn Records - a wiki dedicated to information and informed speculation about the world of Dragaera